Running Forward
by Alice Bekett
Summary: In this sequel to Running Away, we follow the adventures of Hiccup and his family, as they learn about life outside the archipelago and learn more about dragons then they ever thought possible. Fate may be looking to cash in on Hiccup's potential, looking towards the future and not seeing the promised paradise of Tomorrow. Contains elements from the books, movies, and TV shows.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This is the sequel to my story _Running Away._ It's not going to make much sense if you haven't read that one first.

So yeah, I know it's been a bit, and I know this chapter is short, but I thought a little bit of exposition wouldn't be a bad thing.

(LINE BREAK)

Hiccup lay in the soft grass of his island home, staring up at the small shapes of his family flying high above him. It had been nearly two years since he'd left on his journey outside the archipelago, and had been one year since he and Stoick had talked about Hiccup's early life.

So many things had changed since then. Addie and Rohan were entering adolescence, with terrifying speeds that made Hiccup's head spin. The pair were still close, but tended to bicker constantly. Addie had decided to speak Dragonese most of the time, while Rohan stuck to Norse. Rohan still rode Amastis, and Addie still rode Stormfly.

Fishlegs had become a fixture of Hiccup's oddball family, helping Hiccup with chores and dividing up workloads so they had more leisure time. Fishlegs still spoke mostly Norse, but his grasp of the two different types of Dragonese was excellent.

Astrid, Hiccup had learned, had taken up a different approach to dragons. Apparently, Valka and Stormfly had given her a lesson she was unlikely to forget. Since then, she had been kinder to dragons, treating them more like sentient beings and less like the monsters she'd been trained to kill.

In all, life was changing on Berk. Zipplebacks, Nadders, and even a few Gronkles had all joined life on Berk, somehow helping the people of Berk even with the language barrier. After the Nadders had moved to Berk, Astrid had somehow caught the eye of one, and the pair was currently learning how to fly and live together, even though they couldn't talk to each other.

Hiccup sighed softly, watching as Valka, Addie, and Rohan, and their dragons flew slowly back to the ground. Toothless nudged Hiccup's arm, earning a smile. **What?**

 **C'mon, you said we were going to tell them once they came back.** Toothless was almost vibrating with exciting, earning a laugh from Hiccup.

 **We should give them some time to get used to being back on the ground, for at least a minute.** Hiccup sat up, laughing at the angry glare Toothless shot him in response.

 **Seriously? If you don't go over there, I'm going to.** With a sly grin, Toothless bounded over to the landed dragons and their riders. Hiccup shouted in exasperated anger, springing to his feet and following Toothless.

 **Seriously!?** Hiccup threw his arms into the air in exasperation.

Toothless smiled, flicking his tail, attempting to make himself look innocent. Hiccup playfully slapped Toothless's side, and Toothless smacked Hiccup upside the head with his tail.

 **Is something wrong?** Valka asked, looking a little confused.

 **Nothing's wrong.** Hiccup replied, smiling widely. **Fishlegs said yes.**

 **Said yes to what?** Addie asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.

 **Fishlegs is going to stay here, while we go on a trip.**

"To Berk? Sanctuary? When is that something to be so excited about?" Rohan asked, "Besides, we _just_ went to Berk."

Hiccup chuckled. **Mom and I are going to take you two outside of the archipelago.**

It took a moment for the news to register properly for the two preteens. Addie processed it first, running to Hiccup and throwing her arms around his middle. **Really?! For real?**

Hiccup laughed. **Yes. Really. The four of us, and Amastis, Stormfly, Toothless, and Cloudjumper.**

Rohan looked to Amastis, "Did you know!?"

 **We all did.** Valka replied, sharing a secret smile with Cloudjumper.

Smoke curled from Amastis's nostrils. **We wanted to keep it a surprise.**

Rohan smiled, "I'm so excited! When are we leaving!?"

 **Anytime after today, though we should try to let Fishlegs know a few hours before we go.**

 **Can we go tomorrow?** Addie asked excitedly, pulling away from Hiccup.

 **Yes. If that's okay with your brother.**

 **Sounds good to me, even if Addie thought of it.** Addie stuck out her tongue at Rohan, who repeated the gesture in retaliation.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. **Cut it out, you two. Go on, go get ready for tomorrow. I want to see what you pack before dinner tonight. Be ready to go to bed a little earlier than normal-**

 **We're going to be leaving pretty early so we can get out of the archipelago before it gets too late.** Valka butted in.

The two siblings ran off, leaving a crowd of dragons and two adults in their wake.

 **Are you ready for this, Hiccup?** Valka asked reluctantly.

 **Of course. Why wouldn't I be?**

 **Because you and Stoick finally reconnected. You could be gone for a long time.**

 **He knows we're leaving soon. He knows it could be a while.** Hiccup replied. **The kids need to learn about the world, and need to understand that there's more to the world than the archipelago.**

Valka nodded wisely **. That's fair. Now, Cloudjumper and I are going to for a night flight, then go to bed. I'll see you in the morning.**

 **Night, Mom.**

Once Valka was in the air, Hiccup turned to Toothless, with a smile. **Tomorrow, huh?**

 **Tomorrow.** Toothless replied with an air of finality.

For some reason, the word sent shivers down Hiccup's spine.

(LINE BREAK)

Author's Note: That's it, that's the chapter. Just setting stuff up.

Please let me know what you think, in PM or review. If you would like to help me out, you can find a link to my page in my profile. For $3 a month, you get access to sneek peeks of chapters, my original work, my art, and the like. Obviously, the more you donate, the more you'll have access to.

So yeah, happy reading!


	2. Chapter 2

_Hiccup was in this white, blurry place. He found himself unable to focus on his surroundings, beyond a lit fire pit and a long bench. Unsure of what to do, and feeling surprisingly peaceful, Hiccup sat on the bench, wondering what purpose the place could serve._

 _The sounds of faltering footsteps jolted Hiccup from his thoughts. Looking up, he found an old man, with long white hair, approaching slowly. His footsteps were slow and methodical, but he clearly required no aid._

 _"_ _Ah," the old man smiled, the many lines on his face crinkling with a smile, "You must be him."_

 _"_ _Who are you?" Hiccup asked, unsure._

 _The man's smile turned into a smirk that Hiccup thought was familiar, "You'll understand soon, my boy. I've been sent by the gods to warn you?"_

 _"_ _Warn me of what?" Hiccup demanded._

 _The old man's eyes softened, "Tomorrow."_

Hiccup jolted awake, his heart hammering in his chest, and unable to breathe.

 **-iccup?**

Hiccup wildly looked around, unfocused eyes finally landing on a concerned looking Toothless. Toothless's eyes were wide with worry.

 **What?** Hiccup replied breathlessly,not quite being able to pull apart the dream he'd had and the sudden onslaught of reality.

 **Are you okay? You didn't seem to be very comfortable.**

 **I'm okay. I-I think I just need to take a quick walk and drink something. I'll be back to bed in a bit. Don't wait for me.**

Toothless still looked worried, but he nodded and curled back up near Hiccup's bedroll. Hiccup untangled himself from the blanket, and carefully passed his sleeping family. Once he was far enough away, Hiccup sat down hard on the ground.

 _What was that?_ Hiccup asked himself, rubbing his temples. _That didn't feel anything like a normal dream._ Hiccup couldn't figure out what was worse: the vagueness of the old man; the shortness of the dream; or the horrible, spine-tingling sense of unease the word _tomorrow_ gave him.

Hiccup brushed his hair away from his eyes, and looked up into the stars. After absent-mindedly thinking a prayer to the various Norse gods, Hiccup asked:

 **What are you trying to warn me about?**

(LINE BREAK)

That morning, Addie immediately knew something was wrong with Hiccup. He looked tired, and didn't seem as excited about being outside of the archipelago. In fact ,he looked rather anxious, but Addie couldn't figure out why.

The flight out of the archipelago was harrowing, but it always was according to Valka and Hiccup. They had exited the archipelago at a point where there was a sizable island nearby, to allow everyone to rest after the flight. Setting up camp had gone smoothly, finding dinner had never been so easy, and the glade that Valka had chosen was comfortable. In all, the camping experience couldn't have been more than perfect.

Now, though, Hiccup seemed troubled for no reason. That was something Addie knew didn't happen; if Hiccup was worried, there was always good reason. Looking to Stormfly, Addie knew the Nadder had noticed something was off too, though knew better to say anything.

Valka was starting the fire so Rohan could cook a quick breakfast for the group, while the rest of the dragons seemed perfectly content to stay where they were and soak up the first rays of sunshine.

Hiccup was leaning against Toothless's side, his eyes closed, apparently enjoying the sunshine as well. However, his eyebrows were furrowed, and his lips were downturned into a small frown. Addie twirled a long lock of blonde hair around her finger, and tried to put the uncomfortable feeling deep down in her chest to the back of her mind.

Less than an hour later, the group was ready to set out, and Hiccup seemed less upset than before. Addie hoped that Hiccup had resolved whatever had been bothering him, and put aside her worry. She double-checked Stormfly's equipment, and helped everyone else pack up and make sure everything was squared away for them to leave.

"Where are we going?!" Rohan asked excitedly, seated comfortably in the saddle.

 **I don't know.** Hiccup replied. **Pick a direction and I'll follow.**

Rohan looked at his sister, then pointed southwest, the exact opposite from where the archipelago lay, "This way work?"

Valka let out a laugh. **Of course! Onto new adventures!**

 **Onto new adventures!** Hiccup echoed, and he and his family took off, flying high into the bright, clear skies.

(LINE BREAK)

Author's Note:

I'm so sorry for the lack of updating, and for how short this chapter is. I have little computer access, and this was the best I could do. I really am sorry for how short this is, but I figure something is better than nothing.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Feel free to leave a review or send me a PM. Also don't be afraid to ask questions or suggest suggestions. Honestly, I like the feedback. Happy reading!


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